FEMA to help cities, counties cover flood costs

Federal Emergency Management Agency representatives said on Monday that the federal government approved Arkansas’ public-assistance request that would help cities and counties cover the cost of overtime and infrastructure repairs related to recent flooding along the Arkansas River.

April Bennett, a spokesman for FEMA, said in a news release that the major disaster declaration for Arkansas was amended to include public-assistance categories in areas affected by flooding and severe storms between May 21 and June 14.

Conway, Crawford, Faulkner, Jefferson, Perry, Pulaski, Sebastian and Yell counties can receive grants for roads and bridges; water control facilities; public buildings and contents; public utilities; and parks, recreational and other facilities

Desha, Logan, Franklin and Searcy counties can receive the same grants along with assistance for debris removal and emergency protective measures.

These counties were already designated for individual assistance, Bennett said.

U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., expressed concern last week during a visit to flood-damaged areas in Arkansas that mayors and county officials wouldn’t be able to handle the cost of overtime accrued because of flooding or infrastructure repairs without the federal assistance.

“I have talked to many officials who don’t know how they are going to be able to keep going with all the overtime they have to pay out,” Cotton said.

Pine Bluff Mayor Shirley Washington said she shared the senator’s concerns.

“We also have the cleaning efforts and overtime for officers and street [department],” Washington said. “We don’t have a dollar estimate on it.”

The public-assistance program will allow FEMA to support communities by providing them with grant assistance for debris removal, life-saving emergency protective measures and restoring public infrastructure, Bennett said.

Heavy rainfall in Kansas and Oklahoma led the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to release water from reservoirs in both states that eventually made its way downriver and into Arkansas, leading to severe flooding throughout the Arkansas River Valley. Hundreds of homes and businesses were flooded as the water worked its way from western Arkansas through central Arkansas and into the southeastern part of the state.

On June 8, President Donald Trump approved Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s request to declare a major disaster in Arkansas. Approval came less than 24 hours after the governor made the request for federal aid to meet the housing and business needs across Conway, Crawford, Faulkner, Jefferson, Perry, Pulaski, Sebastian and Yell counties.

FEMA has opened 10 disaster recovery centers since then, along with a joint state and federal field office in Little Rock in a building near Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field.